Folding table.



C. H. MAGGS.

FOLDING TABLE.

A PPLlcArloN FILED AuG.24. |914A Ljlgjl, Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

@M11/e5 Ji /ffzws MQW new and useful Improvements in Folding` Tables; and I dov hereby declare the followi. CHARLES H. MAGGS, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

FOLDING TABLE.

.Specification o f Letters Patent.

Patented nee. as, mia.

Application led August24, 1914. Serial No. 858,172.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES H. MAGGS, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My invention has for its object the provision of a foldable table such as may be employedby hotels and caterers for banquet and other purposes, and it contemplates a novel and improved construction whichl can' be manufactured at a reasonable cost.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a construction that possesses the necessary qualifications of strength and endurance, and which at the same time can be. readily folded or unfolded, and insures holding the parts rigidly in either relation.

'Iov these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification. y

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a table equipped with my improvements, and showing the legs unfoldedg Fig. 2 is a side elevation of aportion of the table; Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the keeper, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4a a, showing the leg support folded.

Similar reference characters in the several figures indicate the same parts.

In a more specific aspect, the invention consists of a leg support which has a hinged relation to the table top and is adapted to be folded and retained in such folded position rigidly, similar retaining means acting to hold the leg support in its unfolded or open position with suiicient force to obviate accidental displacement, or collapsing of the table. Y

In the present embodiment the leg support includes a portion A connecting the legs B, which are attached to the table top C lby means of hinges` D. The leg support,

when in its unfolded" position, as shown 1n Fig. 1, rests against a stationary strip or brace E, which engages the legs B, thus preretaining means which I will now describe.

Secured to the under face of the table top is a keeper, while F designates a locking member, which is connected at one end to the leg support while its opposite end is movable longitudinally of the keeper and may be held in locking relation at either end thereof by suitable retaining means. The locking member F is preferably in the form of an elongated link, and is pivoted to a lea-f G which is attached tothe leg support A.

The keeper preferably comprises a plate I-I which is Secured to the under face of the table top by means of offset ends I, and is arranged in spaced relation to the table top,

which the locking member travels. At its opposite ends, theplate II is provided with recessed or retaining portions K a'orded by recesses or grooves adapted to receive the free end of the locking member F.

' Retaining means .are also provided for holding the locking member at either end of the keeper, in folded or unfolded position, and in the embodiment shown, in engagement with one or the other of therecessed portions K, and this I preferably accomplish by. employing a supplemental plate L which is arranged above the part of the keeper already described, the plates H and L preferably being attached to the table by securing devices common toboth. The plate L has struck therefrom a pair ofileaf springs M which are formed with downwardly bent end portions extending through openings N in the keeper,.- and normally resting-in engagement with the recessed portions K. Each of the springs M acts with sufficient force -to hold the leg support rigidly in either folded or unfolded position', as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 respectively. rl`he springs coperate with and engagethe free ends of the locking member, and when it is desired to release the latter, this can be done by depressing the end of the controlling spring, vpermitting the locking member tobe moved out of engagement with the recessed portion and longitudinally of the keeper to the optable, one for each leg support, and the device aifords an extremely elicientarrangement which is of simple construction and fully answers the purposes for which it is designed, having in mindv the ready :Eolda- Y bility of the table legs and a rigid support for them when in operative position. y

The structure is not limited as to scope to the specific arrangement described, as the invention may be otherwise carried out without departing from the terms of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A retaining device comprising opposite plates in spaced relation to each other, one of the plates having transversely extending grooves at its ends, the other plate having springs formed integral 'therewith and extending longitudinally from a point intermediate the ends of the device, and overlying the grooves intermediate the ends thereof. Y

2. A retaining device comprising a pair of comparatively ,Wide plates arranged in spaced 'relation to each other, one of the plates having oppositely arranged grooves extending from one edge to the other, and comparativelyvwide fiat springs secured to the other of Saidilates to overlie the grooves before mentione and extending longitudinally from a point intermediate the ends of the device. v

3. The combination with a table top, of a leg support hinged to the top, a keeper secured to the lower face of the table top comprising a top plate and a bottom plate disposed in spaced relation to the table top and provided with a recessed or retaining portion at each end, a locking member consisting of an elongated link, one end of which is connected to the leg support and the oppositeend 'of which is movable longitudinally of said keeper, and oppositely disposed leaf springs formed from said top plate of the keeper and bearing against said recessed ortions whereby to hold the locking mem er in engagement with either of the recessed portions.

4. A retaining deviceY comprising oppositeplates in spaced relation to each other,

one of which 's provided Vwith transverse grooves at its ends, while the other carries springs extending longitudinally from points Y between the ends of the device and overly-` ing the aforementioned grooves.

CHARLES H. MAGGS.

Witnesses:

RUSSELL B. GRIFFITH, c G. AoNnss BissELL. 

